Smart Technology & Software
Smart Technology & Software Feature
growth in the use of smart systems with a focus on fault finding/reporting and remote management, saving on time, money and also reducing carbon emissions. For example, if a management company has to amend the current list of residents for a certain property, in the past they may have had to arrange for an engineer to visit site, to then find they don’t have the correct key for the maintenance cupboard, whereas with an IoT smart solution, they can program a new key fob there and then within the office and have the new key fob sent out to a secure person or location where the tenant collects it. Te same applies when a resident needs to be removed or their entry authorisation edited. Another great use for IoT entry systems is if there is a fault on the system,
watch dogs within the hardware can normally report issues back to a central hub. Tis saves time on site with fault finding and can also give a good indication on what parts, if any, are faulty. With the ability to send and receive information about live or stored events, for example who used what key fob when and on what entrance point, can be sent back to a central hub. Usually alerts or email notifications can also be sent for further information which can inform an operator if a fire door is being propped open, for instance. Te operator can now see in real time who the last person to unlock the door in question was so that they can be contacted. Another benefit results with the use of alarm inputs and IP or hardwired
systems with an IP interface. All local alarms can be received and transmitted back to a central hub. So, for example, if a property has fire, intruder and flood alarms, these would all have to be received and managed via various means, whether a mobile device, text or paging system. If these are then networked, all alarm signals can be managed from one point and via one operator. Tis should be a top priority for emergency alarms so that a call can be placed to the resident to check if the alarm is legitimate or false inorder to prevent an unnecessary emergency callout. IoT developments are continuing at pace which can only continue to bring
even more benefits to residential living, helping to provide safe and convenient access control management to social housing properties and their residents.
James Gray is national sales manager at Videx Security
Residential living: GSM technology powers highly customised, secure and effective door entry
T
he Great Northern Tower is an impressive 72-metre (236 ſt) high-rise tower block tailor made for residential living. With 25
floors, it’s home to 287 self-contained apartments in the heart of Manchester. An effective door entry system plays a critical role in convenient, secure and flexible access control as well as the safety and wellbeing of residents. Te tower block has a concierge service too that also requires specific authorisation for entry into and exit out of the building. Te building was completed in 2007 and fitted
with a door entry system that, 15 years later, was hugely outdated and causing issues for entry into the tower block by residents, visitors and for concierge use too. Te existing system was very complicated,
and visitors had to look up a flat number on the system and then get a three-digit code to dial. Tis oſten led to people, from visiting friends and family to tradespeople and delivery drivers, dialling the wrong apartments and calling the wrong people. Tere also needed to be a specific concierge function on the system that could alert the main reception desk of a tradesperson coming to visit, or a parcel being delivered, for a resident who wasn’t home. Replacing the system with a bespoke solution but retaining the existing access control fob reader
50 | HMM June/July 2022 |
www.housingmmonline.co.uk HMM06_Videx_HP
Adv.indd 1
aspect, all fitted within a glass wall, was highly complex. Installer Access Ability UK Ltd opted to fit a Videx 4G GSM system that was highly customised, integrated perfectly with the existing fob reader but solved the key entry challenges residents and the concierge team were facing. Barry Kimber, a director at Access Ability UK
Ltd, said: “By installing a GSM intercom system with a VX2200 panel it meant residents could receive notification of someone at the entrance straight to their phone, whether they were home or not. For example, they could be on holiday or
at work but receive a call to say a delivery had arrived, grant entry to the courier driver who can leave the parcel with concierge for safe keeping until the resident returns.” “Te GSM powered intercom system also
enables the concierge team to authorise entry for visitors to deliver parcels or fix appliances for example, when the resident is away. Conveniently, the intercom is very easy to adapt and modify and the concierge team can programme the system both locally and remotely when flat residence changes as people move into and out of the tower block.” Alongside the GSM technology, Videx also
supplied a highly customised entry panel that was not only specifically manufactured for Te Great Northern Tower, to sit within a very difficult- to-navigate glass wall, and feature the existing third-party access control reader, but also carried bespoke engraving too. For example, the block numbers are clearly identified as well as the concierge service button. Te Videx 4G GSM system is extremely
flexible and provides the utmost convenience and security to users. Programming can be done via apps, text messages and PC soſtware both local and remotely.
0370 300 1240
www.videxuk.com 01/06/2022 08:53
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